


Love is... bittersweet

by Emira2705



Category: 19天 - Old先 | 19 Days - Old Xian
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-26 10:42:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17744411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emira2705/pseuds/Emira2705
Summary: Collection of One - Shots written for the 'TianShan Valentine Event', because love can be shown in many ways, even with insults.Day 1: ChocolateDay 2: Gift





	1. Chocolate

He Tian looked disconsolate at the kitchen shelf.

Behind the burner, the tiles were covered in brown spots. On the kitchen floor there was a wooden spoon, full covered in a not really identified liquid which was thick though. The sink was full with dishes, glasses and an empty milk jug. On the table were leaning some heart pastry shapes, which He Tian bought in internet some weeks ago, which were waiting to be finally used. From a small pot on the burner was coming a not really reassuring grumbling. 

Between his hands, He Tian had an open book. Three hours. He Tian was at it already for three hours. The chocolate should already have been ready, but something was wrong. He was sure he had followed all the necessaries steps, like they were written on the recipe.

 

\- Something went wrong - he thought to himself, even though he couldn't understand where he did something wrong. He had decided to prepare some chocolate for his little Mo for San Valentine day. A light smell of something that was burning began to diffuse in the whole room and this convinced He Tian that he had to take the pot off the burner. He took a kitchen glove, which he found in a drawer and set off the burner.

He looked doubtly to the pot: it wasn't that good. He took a bit of the cream on a finger and brought it to his lips to taste it. The taste wasn't that bad, but maybe it was a bit too sour. 

He would make Mo appreciate the try, in a way. He filled the cutters and put them in the fridge. Now he only had to wait and, in the meantime he called the servant to let her come and clean the kitchen, while he took a shower. 

 

*

 

When Mo heard someone ringing the bell that evening, he was at home alone. His mother was working and he wasn't waiting for someone. He looked through the peephole and saw a guy with a hat from a delivering service. When he opened the door, he was given two packets and something to sign. The guy, really annoyed, went away quickly. 

Mo leaned the packets on the kitchen table and set off the burner where the pot with the spaghetti was cooking. He concentrate on what the courier just gave him. He was immediatly suspicious. There was no note, not a single information about who sent them. 

Were those packets for his mother? He never thought that she could receive gifts from someone. The sole idea that a man, maybe those slimy men who wanted something specific from her, wanted to "buy" her with gifts gave him nausea. He would never let her accept them. 

The persistent ringing of his phone woke him off his thoughts. He looked at the name which was blinking on the screen and with less tact, he answered: 

 

"What do you fucking want at this hour?"

"Good evening to you, little Mo. If you are so full of energy come here and make me a stew!"

Those words irritated the red haired guy even more. 

"Have you already received my chocolates? Taste them!"

In that moment, Guan Shan understood.

"I prepared them, if you like them, I'll bring you more."

 

Mo began sweating. Without closing the phone call, he left his phone on the table and opened one of the packets. What he saw it was many little balls without a right form and the colour was all but that of chocolate.

 

"They taste super bad" that was the answer the dark-haired recieved.

From the other side there was a moment of silence. "Little Mo, that's not a nice thing to say... I tried really hard, do you know?"

It wasn't Mos fault if that was the truth and who even asked him chocolate. 

"I don't care, I'll send you some from a pastry shop."

"Who fucking wants it?" tried to say the re-haired, but He Tian seemed not to hear what he was saying and he closed the call. 

Guan Shan threw away his phone, which luckily enough landed on the couch. He took the two packets, ready to toss them in the trashbin, but in the end, for a senseless reason he didn't. 

 

That bastard... Mo couldn't understand his way of doing things. He took a little ball between his finger and ate it. The taste wasn't that bad.

He blushed, embarassing himself because of what he was doing. He would eat only one of them and throw all the others away. 

And, of course, He Tian would never know it.


	2. Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written for the Italian challenge COW-T by Landedifandom, mission 2, prompt: mischievous.

One day... 

 

There was only one day left before Valentines day and He Tian still hadn't bought a present for Mo Guan Shan. After school Tian went to the city centre to find something suitable for the red haired guy. The sky was grey, it was almost certainly going to rain, but He Tian didn't care about it. He only had one thing to do and he would do it, rain or not. 

 

"Good afternoon, may I help you?" A girl in a shop said to him, blushing when she saw how handsome he was. 

He Tian turned to the girl and half-smiled. "I'm sure you can. I'm looking for a gift for Valentine’s day. This person loves sharks, so I was wondering if you might have some plushies." His was surely a strange request, but he knew exactly what he wanted for his Don't close mountain. 

"Shark plushies?" Yes, it was a strange request for the girl, but she couldn't say no to a customer. "S-sure, follow me around." She brought him to the right department: fortunately they had more than one shark plushies there, even though the choice wasn't so big. "I'm afraid we only have these three shark plushies; they aren't popular, so it's a bit difficult to find many." She handed him the three plushies and waited there, looking at the others without saying anything. She wanted to give him time to choose. 

He Tian took the three sharks, closely looking at them. Only one of them had a heart, so he was already sure he wanted that one. "Thank you for your help, I’ve chosen this one." That particular shark was grey, it wasn't scary and it was... cute...? Between the fins it had a red heart, where there was the possibility to put a name on. "I would like to have a name written on it, please." 

"I'm sorry, but we don't offer such services."The girl replied. 

If she could she wouldn't say no to the request, but it was impossible. 

"Do you know you are pretty?" He whispered at her ears, with a mischievous tone, making her blush. Tian wasn't flirting with her, but he could pay way more than the actual price and he really wanted that name on the plush. "Please... I'm sure you can find a way to write the name on it." 

"I... I..." The long haired girl didn't know what to say: she wasn't sure she could guarantee him she could do it. She was still blushing hard. "I really don't know. What if I ruin the plushy? It would be a problem and you wouldn't take it." 

"..." He Tian sighed for a moment, still looking at the little shark in his hands. "I can pay hundreds of these plushies, that's not a problem. I just need a name on this heart, I'm not asking that much, am I?" He was losing his patience. If he had wanted he could have bought the entire shop, to tell the truth. 

"O-okay... I'll do it." She didn't want to lose that customer and something told her he wasn't joking. She gently retrieve the plushy from his hands and looked at him. "Which name do you need on it?" 

"The name is Mo Guan Shan and... thank you so much." 

Finally Tian was relieved and he went to the cashier, impatiently waiting for the plushy. 

***** 

That day Tian went to school really early: his mission was to leave the shark on Mo's desk, so that he would see it first thing when he entered the class door. Almost no one was there, so no one could think he was the sender of the gift. As he went out of the classroom to go to his he chuckled a bit thinking about how Mo would react. 

Tian had stuck a message to it too, in which he invite Mo to see the fireworks with him that night. 

 

\- I'll wait for you, today February 14th at 8 o'clock pm, on the street under your house, Don't close mountain. 

Yours He Tian ♥ - 

 

It took 30 minutes for Mo Guan Shan to arrive at school. As soon as he saw the plushy he raised an eyebrow: who... who sent him something like that? Mo looked around: his classmates weren't there, so he approached his desk, watching it doubtfully. A shark, his name on a heart and a message...? 

The only person who could send him that gift could only be that bastard... That He Tian boy. What was his problem? Since when did he want to give him such a stupid gift? He found himself blushing: he had never received a valentine gift, maybe because of his rudeness toward the others, but He Tian seemingly didn’t want to give up on him. His first thought was to toss the plushy away, but curiosity won over it and he opened the message first. While he was reading it, his face got redder after every word. 

Was that a date? He wasn't interested in that bastard, why couldn't he understand it? No, actually recently Mo became more aware of the rich guy. He was letting him have his way with him, without trying too much to avert him. 

Mo shook his head and threw the plushy in the trash bin, leaving the message on his desk. The first period was going to begin in ten minutes, but someone called him from the door. 

 

"Don't close Mountain, did you find my gift?" He Tian approached him and, whispered in a mischievous tone. "I really expect you to meet me this evening, pretty please." He Tian’s right hand wondered on Mo’s neck, giving him Goose bumps. 

"I-I don't need a plushy, I'm not a small kid anymore!" In that exact moment, Mo was regretting getting rid of it, but fortunately it was still in the classroom’s trash bin. 

He Tian sighed: how could he conquer his heart? "Still... This evening I want to see it, so you better take it home." 

 

Tian finally let him go, leaving the classroom without adding anything else. Mo took the plushy and tossed it through the classroom with a "go to hell, bastard!". The plushy didn't reach him though and hit his friend, who was entering the class in that moment. 

The boy stood there quietly, taking the thing between his hands, blinking the eyes a few times. His gaze went from the plushy to his friend, then he walked to his friend. 

 

"Why was He Tian here? Is this gift for you?" He always asked dumb questions, but he was really curious. 

"Don't speak about that bastard! He just ruined my good mood. I hate him so much..." That wasn't the truth, but he would never admit it. "Just throw it away, I don't care." Mo didn't answer if it was He Tian’s gift, his friend didn't need to know it. 

"But - " The bald-headed boy couldn't even finish his sentence being interrupted by the other. 

"Just shut up!" 

 

Mo slammed a hand on the table, took the plushy and opened the window to throw it out, but something stopped him from doing it. He sat down and left the shark under his desk, looking angry the whole day. He just didn't want to take it home, but that bastard would be mad at him and - secretly - he really liked it. 

At the end of the lessons Mo slipped away; he was lucky that he managed to avoid being caught by He Tian, but a message made his phone vibrate. 

 

\- Little Mo remember our date at eight pm, or I'll have to speak with auntie. 

Yours Tian ♥ - 

Mo Guan Shan screamed a little; luckily without throwing his phone away, since he was on the street. Why was He Tian so stubborn? He got it and if it went on like that, he would never go to that damn date. 

\- Go to hell! Why didn't you just invite one of your many fans? It's Valentine’s day after all. - 

As soon as he came home he greeted his mom, then he laid down on his bed. He Tian still hadn't answered... did he hurt him with those harsh words? He sighed, letting his phone rest on the night table. How come he was so considerate of him, all of a sudden? Maybe he was jealous that he really invited a girl. He shook his head: if that bastard had really invited a girl... he would be really mad and... hurt, yes. 

 

\- If I asked you on a date, little Mo, it's because I don't care about my fans. I want to go with you, not with someone else. 

Yours He Tian ♥ - 

 

When the phone blinked, Mo felt happy and that message made him feel good, even though he would never ever admit it openly.


	3. Love song

Another boring day at school had begun. For Mo Guan Shan it was nothing more than a waste of time being so many hours closed within those four walls, listening to information that, within three months, would have already been removed from his mind. He waited anxiously for the end of the day, the moment when, free from any bonds, he could devote himself to his work and earn some money. It wasn't his intent to continue his studies, he couldn't wait being able to make decisions on his own so he could help out her mother.

She often scolded him, telling him that the greatest reward for all her sacrifices was to see him study, to know that he had some friends and that he was becoming a great boy to be proud of.

It was thanks to those words that Mo got up every morning to go to school. His mother appreciated the help that he stubbornly insisted on, but she was convinced that he was still too young to take on so many responsibilities. She wanted him to live his life like all the kids his age, with that carefree attitue typical of those young years.

That morning he was in an even darker mood. He had woken up in the middle of the night because of a nightmare and there had been no way he could get to sleep, besides, the people around him seemed to be seized by an euphoria out of control that made him even more nervous.

He rested his arms and head tiredly on the desk, closing his eyes to try to drive away the pain that was hammering his temples.

 

"Hey, Bro..."

The voice of his classmate reached him and he looked up slightly, to give him an annoyed look. The boy seemed breathless and even hesitant.  
Mo ran a hand behind his head.

"What do you want?" He asked, trying not to be rude as he would have liked.  
After all, he the bald-headed guy was one of the few persons he liked to hang up with. 

"He ... Tian" the boy stammered. He knew that Mo Guan Shan couldn't stand that boy, even though they were always seen together. "He said he's waiting for you in the garden, he has talk to you!" He then said in one breath, as if he wanted to free himself of the inconvenient task that had been entrusted to him.

"He can go fuck himself!" Was the exclamation of the young red-headed guy who had no time to lose with the crazy mind of the other.

For him it was more a nuisance than anything else to have him around.

 

"You should tell him directly!" Exclaimed some of his amused companions, pointing outside the window.

 

Mo suddenly stood up, irritated by the snickers of his classmates.

He approached the window and leaned forward, while the others moved away from him.

He Tian stood there looking up and looked at him with a pleased expression.

 

"Come down, little Mo," the dark-headed man called him, in a peremptory tone of voice.

In response, Guan Shan raised his middle finger in a rather understandable and meaningful gesture.

That bastard always behaved as if it were all due, and perhaps in his life he had been used to getting what he wanted, but Mo was not going to give in on a single step.

He glanced at him again and saw him bend his lips into a grin.

He would not have won it, he was not forced to run every time the other called.

He took a few steps, moving away from the window when something forced him to get closer.

Something not expected and very embarrassing.

 

**The sound of the heartbeat, felt like dancing miracles**

**You looked at me and told me not to love you**

**Because you will only cause me pain**

**You were so cold**

**Suddenly felt so close yet so far away**

 

He Tian was singing.

Mo couldn't believe he was really doing it, and cold chills ran down his back.

He tried to ignore what was happening but the general enthusiasm that was being created around him prevented him from doing so. Some of his companions had put their hands in front of their mouths and moved their gaze from Mo to Tian and viceversa.

Mo blushed to just imagine what thoughts they might have had at that moment.

He leaned angrily against the window, still with his cheeks burning, and shouted at him to stop.

 

"What the fuck are you doing? I'll kill you, shut up your fucking mouth! "He yelled in vain.

 

In the garden an increasingly large group of people was gathering around the dark-haired guy. The girls, in particular, seemed to appreciate what he was doing. They stood there looking at He Tian with their eyes shining, they blushed as if the boy was singing those words of love to them.

They were nothing but vain daydreams, however, because the dark-haired guy didn't deign to look at them and went on turning his attention to the person who was, at the moment, looking out of the window.

 

**I thought, I guessed, I asked, I've finally understood**

**That tears shed for love could also taste sweet**

**Just want to love you**

**It's like every time I open my eyes, I can only see you**

**I know that often times I could be unpredictable**

**It doesn't matter what you decided**

**Whether to finally love me or to run away**

**Sorry, I still can't stop loving you**

 

Mo Guan Shan would have wanted a chasm to open beneath his feet so he could get sucked into it and disappear from the face of the Earth. That asshole had the ability to constantly embarrass him but this time he had passed his marks.

The umpteenth giggle from some comrade made him decide that it was time to put an end to everything.

 

\- This time I really kill him - that was what he was repeating to himself as he left the classroom and went down the stairs to reach the garden. At the instant he stepped in, Tian looked at him in pompousness and satisfaction.  
Mo, with his cheeks still red because of the eyes of everyone focused on him, flung himself like a fury. He kicked him, grabbed him by the shirt, throwing on him the worst threats he ever heard but was promptly blocked by the dark-haired guy.

 

"Finally you came down, little Mo," he said, smiling mischievously, holding his arms to appease his anger.  
"Did you fuck that little bit of shit which was left in your brain?" The redhead returned. He no longer knew how to handle that situation, let alone the embarrassment that had already reached unimaginable levels. After yet another whistle of scorn from someone in the garden, Mo began to tremble with rage. He untangled himself from the other's grip and grabbed him by the sleeve of his sweatshirt, running away, dragging him behind. He only stopped when he was sure he was far enough away from the sight of any person in the school.

They were behind the gym.

"Wow, what emterprise today!" Tried to joke the dark-haired.

Guan Shan was short of breath but tried to hit He Tian anyway.

Seeing him so much upset, the boy became serious. "Hey, calm down, you don't need to get warm this way!" He said, trying to reassure him.

"You have so much fun taking me by the ass, ugly bast ..."

The other didn't let him finish the sentence.

"I wasn't joking, did you at least listen to the song?"

The face of the dark-haired guy had become extremely gloomy.

Mo didn't answer, bit his lip and lowered his gaze trying to calm his breath.

He hated him and at the same time he realized that he was not indifferent to him, and it made him even more angry.

When he saw that the red-haired man had stopped shaking, Tian put his hand behind his neck.

 

"To make you forgive me, I'm offering you dinner!" He said.

"Die" was the answer he received.

He Tian smiled amused. Now the atmosphere was another time alive.  
That guy was a harassing narcissist and Mo knew he would never give him truce, yet for a brief moment he felt satisfied that he was so important to someone.  
An instant so short that even he himself didn't realize it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this one-shot we used the song: Zhi Xiang ai ni - Rainie Yang. We suggest you listen to it while reading this chapter.


End file.
